Coffee house to open in heritage building

Natascha Mirosch

Best friends and now co-owners of Scout, Susannah Whitehouse and Candy Smith. Photo: Michelle Smith

Candy Smith and Susannah Whitehouse are bringing an historic old building back to life as a coffee house. Scout, in a heritage listed block on Petrie Terrace, will open next week. It started life as a corner shop decades ago but has been sitting empty for the last 16 years. Smith says the place is in surprisingly good nick.

"We can't do much with it anyway because of the heritage listing, so we're going with what's already there, like the wood floors made from all different types of wood and the exposed brick wall," she says.

Unusually for Brisbane, the 30 seater cafe boasts a room with a fireplace which Smith says they hope to have operational by winter. Both Smith and Whitehouse have extensive barista experience, with a long stint in Melbourne then most recently at Lady Marmalade and Au Cirque cafes, respectively. Coffee will be from Supreme and the food casual. Smith says they will serve sandwiches and salads as well as a breakfast menu that will change regularly depending on what they source from the Rocklea markets.

Opening after the Australia Day long weekend, Scout will operate seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.